Jakarta, Dec. 23 -- Higher Education, Science, and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto has assured that the government provides legal protection to academics involved in environmental evaluations and audits in flood- and landslide-affected areas of Sumatra.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, Yuliarto said the legal guarantee is stipulated under Article 66 of Law No. 32 of 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management, as well as related ministerial regulations.

The provision, he explained, ensures legal protection for individuals and groups advocating the right to a clean and healthy environment.

"There are clear legal frameworks that protect lecturers and professors who are involved in studies, research, and environmenta...